Bottle-filling machine



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. W. R. DANNALS.

BOTTLE FILLING MAGHINB.

PatentedNov. 18, 1890.

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W. R. DANNALS. BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

No. 440,916. Patented Nov. 18, 1890.

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3 Sheets--She'et 3. W. R. DANNALS. BUTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 18,1890.

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. elevate said bar or frame and the plungerrods carried thereby to anextent which is 'adjustment by tightening the nuts upon the IVILLIAM R.DANNALS, OF PHI rrrcn@v LADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOTTLE-FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 440,916, datedNovember 18, 1890.

Serial No. 345,057. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM. R. DANNALS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Bottle-Filling Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class ot bottlefilling machines in which aseries of bottles are filled at one time, my invention comprisingcertain details in construction of the machine, as fully described andclaimedhereinafter, with a view of simplifying said construction andinsuring a rapid and accurate filling of the bottles.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a transverse section of abottle-filling machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig.2 is a front view of the machine. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and G are detachedviews, on an enlarged scale, illustrating` parts of the machine. Fig. 7is a sectional view of a special form of the filling-nozzle. Fig. S is aview illustrating a modification of part of the invention, and Figs. 9and l0 are views illustrating one of the features of the invention.

A A represent the fixed side frames of the machine, and B a transversebar, to which is secured a series of kfilling-cylinders D, arranged sideby side, each of these cylinders having a plunger or piston, the rods aof which are connected to a transverse bar or frame F, suitably guidedin its vertical movement upon opposite rods l), near each side of themachine. The bar or frame F is suspended by short rods or links d from alever G, Which is hung by means of links G to the opposite side framesof the machine and extends out in front of the machine, so as to bereadily manipulated by the attendant. The opposite end portions of thebar or frame F are acted upon by springs f, which tend to limited bycontact of the lever G with the transverse bar H, the latter beingadjustable vertically and being secured in position after bolts c,carried by the bar and guided in the opposite slotted plates c on theside frames drum or reservoir I, which during the operation of themachine is kept constantly filled With the liquid for supplying thebottles, this liquid flowing by gravity or being drawn through a pipe Iinto the reservoir I on the operation of the plungers in the cylinders,the pipe I communicatingwith the main reservoir or source of supply.

The reservoir I has a series of dischargepipes I2, one for each of thefilling-cylinders D, each pipe communicating With one branch z" of thecasing of a three-Way valve J, having another branch-t2, communicatingWith the lower end of the filling-cylinder, and a third branch 3,communicating with a filling pipe or nozzle fi, so that the valve may beturned, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide communication between thereservoir I and the 7o tilling-cylinders, or may be rotated to theextent ot a quarter of a turn, as shown in Fig. at, so as to cut oftcommunication With the reservoir I and open communication between thefilling-cylinders and the nozzles e'. In the 7 5A rear of the nozzles t'are a corresponding number of nozzles m, which are carried by blocks m,guided in a transversely-slotted frame K and adjustable laterallytherein to accord with the varying diameters of the bottles to 8o befilled, suitable clamping-bolts n, provided with nuts and Washers, beingemployed for confining the blocks m between the front and back bars ofthe frame K, so as to insure the securing of said blocks and theirnozzles in the proper position after adjustment.

The frame K is suitably guided at each end upon rods k, and is supportedby springs p, hung to a bar or othersupport p', so that the frame K andnozzles m are free to rise and 9o tall, the upper .ends of the nozzles mbeing connected to the nozzlesz' by means of flexible pipes or tubes m2,as shown in Fig. l. The tray carrying the rows ot' bottles is mounted ona carriage L, having Wheels adapted to the notched tracks 7c upon aplatform or table M, which is mounted at an angle upon the side framesor supports A of the machine, the nozzles m being mounted and guided ina 1 plane at right angles to that of the table or roo platform M, sothat when a row of bottles has been brought under and in line With therow of nozzles the latter may be depressed, so as to enter the bottles,such depression being effected by connecting the frame K, by means ofcords or chains s, to a treadle P, and this treadle being also connectedby cords or chains s to the operating arms or handles J of the three-Wayvalves J, whereby on depressing the treadle so as to cause the nozzlesto enter the bottles the three-way valves will be simultaneouslyoperated, so as to open communication between the filling-cylinders andthe nozzles t', thus permitting the liquid in said cylinders to beforced through the nozzles i', tubes m2, and nozzles m into the bottles.

The arms or handles J of the three-way valves J are connected to a rodt, which is acted upon by springs t', so as to restore the valves J totheir former position on the rise of the treadle P, the latter movementbeing effected by means of a spring P, as shown in Fig. l, and theelevation of the bar K and its nozzle m being effected by the springs pwhen the treadle is permitted to rise. The nozzles m have pointed lowerends to facilitate their entrance into the mouths of the bottles, andsaid nozzles project some distance down into the bottles and havedischargeopenings m3 near their lower ends.

Sliding on each of the nozzles m is a cap w, which is acted upon by aspring w', tending to depress it, this spring in the present instancebeing shown in the form of an elastic tube interposed between the capand a plate or washer w on the bottom of the frame K, suitableguide-rods 106 serving to prevent twisting of the cap on the nozzle. Thelower end of the cap has a washer for bearing upon and closing the mouthof the bottle, this washer having a central opening for the passage ofthe nozzle, and at one side of the same a smaller opening 0c for theescape of air from the bottle as the latter is being filled, and for theescape also of any surplus liquid from the bottle in case the capacityof the bottle is not equal to the charge, this surplus liquid beingconveyed from the cap w through a branch w3 into a trough 104, carriedby and extending through the length of the frame K and discharging atone end into any suitable receptacle.

On one side of the nozzle m at a point adjacent to the cap w is a rib orprojection x2, which serves to so locate the nozzles in the mouths ofthe bottles that the opening 0c in the washer x will always be incommunication with the interior of the bottle when the nozzle isinserted therein.

The operation of the device is as follows: The normal position of theparts is that shown by full lines in Fig. l. In starting to fill thebottles the lever G is first elevated to the po-4 sition shown by dottedlines in Fig. 1, so as to charge the cylinders D, the extent of thiselevation being limited, as before mentioned, by the adjustable bar G,so that the upward stroke of the plunger of each filling-cylinder isrestricted and the amount of liquid drawn into the cylinder thusregulated. The carriage L being adj usted to such a position that thefront row of bottles is directly beneath the filling-nozzles m, thetreadle P is depressed so as to cause said nozzles m to enter thebottles and at the same time to cause the washers Q0 of the caps lw toclose the mouths of the bottles. The same movement of the treadle whicheffected the entrance of the nozzles into the bottles caused such anoperation of the valves J as to open communication between the fillingcylinders and nozzles i' and close communication with the reservoir I,as shown in Fig. 4. The lever G being now depressed forces the liquidfrom the fillingcylinders into the bottles, the amount of the liquiddrawn into each filling-cylinder on the rise of the plunger thereinbeingj ust sufficient to constitute the desired charge for each bottle.As the liquid rises in each bottle, the air passes from the same throughthe opening x in the washer and through the cap w and its branch w3, andif the charge of liquid is greater than the capacity of the bottle thesurplus liquid also escapes in the same manner, and is directed by thetrough 104 to a suitable receptacle, to be returned to the mainreservoir. On releasing the pressure from the treadle the nozzles m andcaps w are withdrawn from the bottles, and the valves J are readjustedto the position shown in Fig. 3, so as to permit the filling of thecylinders D prior to a repetition of the above-described operation whena row of unfilled bottles has been brought under and in line with thenozzles m. In some cases the bottles may be filled directly from thenozzles il, sliding caps i) in this case serving to properly center themouths of the bottles for the entrance of the nozzles, as shown in Fig.8, for instance, the bottles in this case being caused to .rise as thenozzles occupy a fixed Vertical position, and the caps c being normallydepressed by means of suitable springs fu.

Vhen the machine is used for filling bottles with beer or effervescentliquids, I prefer to use the form of illing-nozzle shown in Fig. 7, thisnozzle being mounted in the same way as the others. In this case thenozzle is normally closed at the lower end by means of a Valve y,carried bya rod y', which projects below the lower end of the nozzle, sothat when the latter is inserted into the bottle the contact of this rodwith the bottom of the bottle will cause the valvey to open and permitthe liquid to flow into the bottle, the valve closing automatically asthe nozzle is raised from the bottle when the filling of the latter hasbeen completed. In this case, also, I prefer to provide thedischarge-branch w3 of the cap w with a checkvalve w, closing upward,this valve remaining open as long as air is being discharged through thecap, but being forced against its seat by any flow of liquid through thecap, so that while the discharge-branch provides for the escape of airit will prevent the escape of the liquid, for in the case of beeror'effer` vescent liquids any such escaping liquid IOO IIC)

would be lost, as it could not be returned to the main reservoir again.

The side bars of the frame of the machine have a series of openings uforthe reception of the pins u', whereby the links G are hung to said sideframes, so that the fulcrum-point of the lever G may be raised orlowered, in order to provide for the most effective operation of saidlever under dilerent circumstances.

Vhere a force or pressure supply of liquid to the bottles is notrequired, the use of the cylindersD may be dispensed with and the-liquid permitted to now directly from the reservoir I to the nozzles t'without gaining any access to the said cylinders, the two positions ofthe three-way valve under such method of operation being those shown inFigs. 9 and 10, a simple reversal or halfturn of the plug of the valvebeing all that is required to adapt it to this new method of operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. The combination, in a bottle-filling machine, of amovable bottlehsupport, a row of iilling-nozzles, a series of capssurrounding said nozzles and adapted to close the mouths of the bottles,springs serving as backings for. said caps, and means for moving thenozzles from and toward the bottles, substantially as speciied.

2. The combination, in a bottle-filling machine, of a bottle-holder orsupport, a liquidreservoir, a series of lling-cylinders having plungerstherein, a series of lling-nozzles,

and three-way valves whereby the cylinders may be caused to communicateeither with the reservoir or with the nozzles, substantially asspecilied.

3. The combination, in a bottle-filling machine, of a bottle holder orsupport, a liquidreservoir, a series of valved nozzles communicatingwith said reservoir, a series of laterally-adjustable filling-nozzlesfor entering the bottles, and flexible connections between said valvednozzles and' said adjustable rillingnozzles, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, in a bottle-filling machine, of the filling-nozzlehaving` a rib or projection at one side with a cap surrounding saidnozzle and having a fiat gasket or Washer adapted to close upon the topof the bottlemouth, said cap and Washer having anairdischarge venttherein adjacent to the rib or projection on the nozzle, substantiallyas specified.

5. The combination, in a bottle-lling machine, of theiilling-nozzle, avented cap for closing the mouth of the bottle, and al valve closing thesaid nozzle and having a rod projecting downward beyond the same, so asto be operated to open the valve by contact with the bottom of thebottle, substantially as specilied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence 0f two subscribing witnessesA IVM. R. DANN ALS.

XVitnesses 3 EUGENE ELTERICH, HARRY SMITH.

